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Along with announcements about Lion (the next incarnation of OSX) and iOS 5, Apple will announce details of their upcoming cloud services offering on June 6th during the WWDC Keynote. Speculation is rampant about what iCloud means, but almost assured is some form of cloud music service to compete with the recent Google and Amazon products. Other possibilities include a more robust syncing service (a la dropbox), network-based wireless syncing of your iOS devices, and a potential new API service for app developers to use for data synchronization between Apple devices.  We’ll see what Apple has up it’s sleeves in less than a week!

Apple to announce iCloud June 6th

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Today Google announced a new feature, the Google Wallet for near field communication devices. Similar to Mastercard’s PayPass (and compatible with it), it will allow you to simply wave your phone to authorize payment at merchants, including Radioshack, Subway, Foot Locker, CVS, and more.  Can you see libraries taking overdue and lost payments with something like this? 

Google Wallet announcement

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Amazon moved their advertising model that brought you the $114 Kindle Wifi over to the 3G. Now you can get always-on Whispernet service over 3G for only $164, which mirrors the $25 discount given for turning your homescreen over to Amazon for advertising. Still, $164 for a 3G Kindle means this is a hot week for eReaders.

Kindle 3G now with Special Offers

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NPG, CSU partner for $49 dynamic digital textbooks

This fall, students at California State University will be at least make a step up to fast food. CSU has announced a three-year deal with Nature Publishing Group for low-cost, interactive, web-based textbooks with access options for disabled students. The first to be offered is an introductory biology text, fittingly titled Principles of Biology. Students on the L.A., Northridge, and Chico campuses will each have varying payment and licensing models, but 49 bucks gets anyone a full edition starting September 1st.

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B&N announces a new version of their Nook eReader that’s touch-based, but still uses an eInk screen rather than the LCD-based touchscreen of their Nook Color tablet. Shipping in June, should be an interesting addition to the eReader marketplace.

Barnes & Noble announces new touch-enabled Nook for $139

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Kobo Announces Touchscreen Ereader

Kobo Announces Touchscreen Ereader

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The Entourage Edge (even I can’t bring myself to use their suggested inTerCaps) is dead, with the service being discontinued 2 days ago. The official announcement begins: The enTourage eDGe store has closed as of 05/21/2011. We appreciate all of our customers and want you to enjoy your enTourage eDGe for the foreseeable future. The dual-screened tablet-like device always seemed like a doomed project to me, but it’s sad to see choice go out of the market.

enTourage eDGe™ is Dead

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On Woot.com today, there’s a sale on the Amazon Kindle 2nd Gen eReader with 3G for the lowest price I’ve seen: $89.99. It is last-generation hardware (the screen is ever-so-slightly not as good as the newest Kindle) but for $89 and free 3G, this is a steal. 

Kindle 2nd Generation 3G = $89.99

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I am very, very skeptical of this report. But I’m gonna pay attention.

Amazon to allow ePub ebooks on the Kindle e-Reader | Good E-Reader Blog – ebook Reader and Tablet PC News

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Another excellent example of “piracy” as a positive force. Author asks people to scan and post his out-of-print works so that he can clean them up for distribution.

Crowdsource, Please